September 2012 Artifact of the Month

"Fremont Man"

Artist: Jaune Quick-to-See Smith

Flathead/Cree/Shoshone

Plateau

2010.5.1

Jaune Quick-to-See Smith creates art concerning the political and
cultural realities of being Native in America. She asserts that she
lives in two cultures, her Native culture and the Eurocentric culture
surrounding her. She is not shy about confronting the sometimes
contentious intersection between the two. This boldness has propelled
her art making and catapulted her onto the art scene.

Smith's
artistic influences include abstract expressionism and petroglyphs, one
of the oldest surviving examples of artistic expression in North
America. The featured monoprint is a good example of this inspired
convergence, with both styles challenging one another. The figures are
highly stylized, the palette is an appealing mix of earth colors, and
the application of line and color is masterful in its economy.